Indian cricket fans are loyal and excited about their teams, let alone players, but the recent incidents with Aussie media and the Barmy Army have made Indian fans more emotional than ever, especially fans belonging to Rohit Sharma. With two significant Test series on the horizon for India—one against Australia, the other against England—a growing storm over a poster has led to an epic fan battle on social media.
For Rohit Sharma fans, the argument serves as a reminder of the ongoing conflict and struggle in India between two iconic cricketers. As India prepares for the Test series, the debate about who is more deserving of the spotlight—Rohit or Kohli—will undoubtedly continue, but at the heart of Team India’s strategy must be victory.
The Upcoming Test Series: India’s Battle for Glory
India is preparing for two massive five-match test series over the next eight months. The series on top of the list is the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to commence on November 20 in Perth against Australia. This series cannot be viewed as an ordinary vote for the seventh Test encounter; it is preparation for the WTC final, in which India is most likely to qualify.
After this, India will start a fresh WTC cycle against England in June, which would be an interesting series. Crucial for Indian cricket are these two Test series. India will look to win the Border Gavaskar Trophy and again beat Australia by winning the third straight series in Australia.
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The England series, however, offers India a chance for a Test series win in England since Liquid’s year of 1986. For Indian fans, especially the ones who support Rohit Sharma, these are iconic matches in the team’s future history.
The Poster Controversy: Focus On Virat Kohli
It started when Fox Cricket, an Australian media company, released a promotional video and a poster in preparation for the Border-Gavaskar series. While the contemporary captain of the Indian cricket team, Rohit Sharma, was overlooked, credit finally shifted to former captain Virat Kohli.
Media is most of the time focused on Kohli, and even during this series, the conversation was more like this could be the last series Kohli plays in Australia. Later, England’s Barmy Army—its official supporters of the cricket team—piled on the pressure. They posted a story on Facebook with Kohli’s photo to announce the series between India and England next June.
As much as there is no debate about Kohli’s position in world cricket, many Rohit Sharma fans erupted on various platforms, angry about how their captain was ‘bench warmed’ for Kohli.
Angry Fans of Rohit Sharma
The response generated was a true representation of Rohit Sharma loyal fans when Fox Cricket and the Barmy Army posted this message. Several fans shut down angrily, many indicating that presently, team India’s captain Rohit Sharma should have been captured prominently in the ad.
Some wondered why Rohit was left out of reckoning to make a hundred, especially after his heroic performance that led the Indian team to many victories. It all started on social media, of which fans are a part, for during the series some hashtags like #RespectRohit and #RohitSharmaFanWar began trending.
Some criticised the media attention on Kohli as sorites’ extreme insecurity of the Aussie media and Barmy Army’. They believed that Rohit’s earlier years of leadership had been instrumental in the success seen from the Indian cricket team and that he should open along with Kohli.
The Larger Implications: Kohli vs. Rohit Narratives
This particular fan war is not all about a poster but gives us another glimpse at the Virat Kohli versus Rohit Sharma story. Marian has been one of the most outstanding cricketers in the modern world, and he has been the captain of the India team for several years.
The media and some sections of the fans never let Rohit be their captain because sometimes he lacks the larger-than-life image that Kohli brings to the pitch.
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This has caused a division in the Loot Yens crowd as well, between those who stand with Kohli and those who are now closer to Rohit. The recent controversy regarding these recent posters just adds to this disparity, with each set of fans vigorously justifying their preferred player.
Focus on New Zealand Series: India’s Immediate Challenge
Despite these creams, the current focus in India is on a three-match series in their own backyard against New Zealand. Starting from Bengaluru, this series is important for WTC places in India. A 3-0 whitewash of the Black Caps could possibly lock India into the WTC final for the third time in a row.
India under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy has replied back with a series of good performances in Test cricket. The current WTC format has not yet taken place, but before the COVID pandemic interrupted cricket, India last summer beat the West Indies comprehensively, then equalled South Africa, drawing 1-1 and became the WTC Champions in the 11 games out of 11 matches.
Win%: 72%, Points Win%: 74.24% place in the points table. A win over New Zealand will certainly help India in terms of points in the WTC, besides putting Rohit’s captaincy to the ultimate test.
The Road Ahead: Australia and England Await
Ahead of that, cricket fans can look forward to one of the most enthralling series of the year—the Border Gavaskar series in Australia. Finally, before the WTC final, India is looking forward to dominating Australia once again on Australian soil. This series is perfect for Rohit Sharma to establish himself as a Test captain in one of the most challenging places to play in world cricket.
That will then be followed by the England series in June for the beginning of a new WTC cycle. India will be keen to begin on a winning note and clinch their first series win on English soil. Both series will be instrumental in deciding how the future Indian cricket and Rohit’s standing as a Test captain.
The debate continues
Although the posters may have incited the fan war, the million-dollar question is: Where do Kohli and Rohit stand in Indian cricket? Almost all the causative factors for them have been contributed by both players, and both remain essential components for India’s victory.
But while Rohit is taking India into a significant stage in Test cricket, a lot of spectators think that it’s high time that he be considered not only as a replacement for Kohli. For lovers of Rohit Sharma, controversy is a reminder of the daily fight and struggle in India between two legendary cricketers.
As India gets ready for the Test series, the discussions about who is more deserving to be in the limelight—Rohit or Kohli—are sure to go on, but at the center for team India, it has to be about winning.